Whenever I bake brownies the middle never seems to cook all the way through; the sides are hard and dry and the middle is still wet and gooey, as in not cooked. What can I do to prevent this?

The basic problem is that the oven is too hot, so that the sides of the brownies overcook before the middle sets. You have three or four choices, which you may want to combine: 1. Check the temperature of the oven with an oven thermometer. It may be running quite a bit hotter than you believe. If it is out of whack, you may be able to have it adjusted by a repair person.

2. Lower the baking temperature 25°F (12°C) or more and bake the brownies longer, giving more time for the heat to set the center.

3. Spread the batter out in a larger baking pan, making it shallower. In this way, the heat has less distance to travel to set the center.